Australian - American Dictionary

Notes: Australian and American english are not static of course, and most American
usages are making rapid inroads into Australian usage through the influence of media such
as television and films and through the Australian usage of American products such as
computers. Meanwhile Australian words are increasingly understood in the US. Also American
usage varies substantially across the country. This list mainly reflects my experience in
California in 1985-88. In many cases where direct translation was impossible I have often
picked some American counterpart that seemed to be in the same spirit. Hence scone
to biscuit, bubble and squeak to hash browns, mate to sidekick.

In Oz, one might say "All invited. Bring a plate." In the US, it's a "pot
luck dinner". In either case, all guests bring a plate or dish of food which can be
shared. In Britain it is apparently called "Dutch treat".

crumpet (Oz) n

1. vaguely like an English muffin, only much better. Commonly eaten in place of toast
during winter. 2. woman considered as a sexual object (seldom used now).

vegemite (Oz)n

Wholesome and sharp tasting black spread for toast and crackers. The definitive
Australian icon, and there is definitely no US equivalent.

verge (the grassed area between the footpath in front on your house and the road which you
look after as part of your own front yard but which actually belongs to the city council)
"You can park on the verge." ... easement (usually used only in legal
language), swale (on a property that doesn't have a sidewalk/footpath or a
cement curb, the grassy area closest to the road)

An apartment with kitchen/living room and bathroom, but no separate bedroom. The US
version can be very comfortable (I had one in Goleta, California), while British-style
bedsits are often very cramped. A British style bedsit would probably attract the
description "toy studio" if found in the US. I noticed the term "studio
apartment" in use in Australia (Brisbane) for the first time in 1992, in a real
estate advertisement. Obviously it sounded more impressive than "bedsit". In any
case, this type of apartment is relatively uncommon in Australia.

continental quilt (Oz)n

See doona.

doona (Oz) = comforter (US)n

Quilted eiderdown with a down or synthetic filling. "Doona" is an Tradename.
"Doona" is apparently used in Australia only, and is unknown in New Zealand and
Britain, let alone the US.

Although never used when I was a child, "Santa Claus" is now, in 1997, in
common use in Australian department stores.

funky adj

1. Oz and US: eccentric, stylish, pleasant, as in good jazz or folk music. 2. US only:
dirty or smelly, as in "the bicycle chain is funky".

innings (Oz) = inning (US)n

Turn to bat, as in cricket or baseball.

gaol (Oz) = jail (US) n, v

Same pronunciation.

often times (US) adv

The emphatic form "often times" in place of simply "often" is
virtually never used in Australia, but it's quite common in the US (usually pronounced
"offen-times"). The Oxford concise lists it as an older usage in British
english.

paye-as-you-earn (PAYE) (Oz)v

Pay income tax automatically at source. Employer deducts a standard amount from each
salary or wage payment, and forwards to the tax office.

rafferty's rules (Oz)n

no rules at all, as of a chaotic contest or organization.

reckon (Oz)v

In Oz, "I reckon" translates simply to "I think", but there is
no real US equivalent for this very common Australian construction. (September 1999: Kent
Parks of Raleigh, NC, writes that "reckon" is also used in the same sense in the
Southern US.)

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Lyn Whitaker (Naval Postgraduate School), Andrea Jagla (RealNetworks)
and AnnaLisa Michalski for input and suggestions. Thanks also to others whom I can no longer
remember individually.